The Genius of Ray Charles

Koji kontrast između strana albuma, prva je puno više za mene a druga je baš spora i uspavana. Začudo, ne sviđa mi se ni njegov glas nešto posebno.

The Good: We are in the company of genius…
The Bad: We don’t know why…
The Ugly: Well, I guess you could say that this is, yet again, an album title referring to the artist, which isn’t genius

A little swing, plenty of big band, some great classics… it's an excellent album.

Yet, I can’t get myself to grade this higher than a 3*
Not that there aren’t plenty of reasons to give this album 4-5*, however, not today.
I would rather listen to his other album on this list and if not, just find an excellent playlist with all his greatest hits.

Sorry Ray, but this album is not genius...

The Genius Of Ray Charles is certainly a really good album. It doesn't have a single mention of country music in it's title so that means i can't sue the people who worked on this album (the ones that are even alive, that is) for deception and false advertising. Jokes aside, i really enjoyed a lot of the music on offer here. They all have that nice orchestral sound that i would come to expect from Ray Charles as well as a lot of his contemporaries from the time. I also enjoyed Charles' vocals and songwriting as they fit the album very well. The album also went on at the perfect length too. I think that this is a great jazz album and i would put it above his later album on this list.
Best Song: You Won't Let Me Go
Worst Song: Alexander's Ragtime Band

Standard easy listening fare. Not what I would really come to think of when listening to Ray Charles. 2.5/5

He has a great voice, and I enjoyed side one quite a lot, but I found the tempo of side two less compelling.

I’m at a 5.

It’s not as consistently dazzling as “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” (and honestly, I’m not sure there’s a track here that quite hits the highs of that album), but it’s a damn fine album regardless. Ray’s voice doesn’t quite maintain the same level of charisma, the band’s not as sharp (& the split between big band / strings for each half feels a little disconnected), and it just doesn’t feel as tightly knit as it could be. Regardless, I think the music & the vibe speak for itself here. These aren’t bombastic takes on country songs, these are dinner / nightclub vibes, with Ray Charles here to regale with his sad tales of lost love & broken hearts. Admittedly, it does start to feel a little stale/same-y by the end of it, but I found myself pretty emotionally in sync for a lot of the album.

Since it is sort of a one-note, “let the music speak for itself” kind of album, I’m just not sure I have that much to say. I wish it were as good as “Modern Sounds” was, but even if it’s not, it’s still a 5 for my ears. Ray Charles’ lyrics are good, his vocals still carry a suaveness & natural charm even if the charisma isn’t fully there (there’s certainly parts where it shines through), and when the big band is truly rolling in the first half (or the strings in the second half), I think it’s an absolutely lovely listen. I wouldn’t blame anyone for going down to a 4 (or honestly, even finding a sort of “boredom” spot if each style bounces off & going all the way down to a 3). I enjoyed it a lot, though, hence the 5.

This is an okay vocal jazz album. Ray's singing is great, but the album feels very dated. I don't like those blaring horns on the first couple of tracks.

Hard for me to rate as it’s proper 3.5 for me, but I prefer Ray when it’s rougher and less big band. Felt the pace was very similar in the second half. But still good stuff!

Great album, almost a 5! Lost its way a little as the album went on.

bão demais esse aqui
tem muito o que falar não. ray charles mandava muito. cabuloso.

Smooth and relaxing to listen to. Ray Charles was certainly a pioneer.

More crooner-y than expected. It was fine but won’t go back to it.

Really great album. I think viewing from a modern lens the more mellow songs in the second half stand the test of time more. Highlights were Let The Good Times Roll, Tell Me You’ll Wait For Me, Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Cryin’, and Come Rain Or Come Shine.

Didn't have a chance to really digest this one, but I did give it a listen. The big band songs are so bright and lively, really steeped in infectious joy, and the balladry is earnest and sweet. This is just incredibly pleasant, Ray Charles is a fantastic presence, whether crooning or providing some real energy, and the band here really knows what they're doing. I enjoyed this a lot, even though it was kind of a blur, and I'd say I am feeling a 4.

So, 1959 rolls around, and someone at Atlantic Records decides, "You know what? Let's just call this album The Genius of Ray Charles. No pressure, Ray, just live up to that title." And what do you know? The man actually does. The nerve of him... And it's almost offensive in its brilliance.

Look, if you're not into groundbreaking, genre-defining music that will make you feel things you didn't even know you could feel, then sure, give The Genius of Ray Charles a miss. But if you are, just be warned that it might make all your other music sound a bit… less genius. Don't say I didn't warn you.

i prefer modern songs in country and western music. a little less orchestra? but ray is always great, no matter what’s playing alongside him.

Last Ray Charles we had, I was surprised he was around in the 60s. Now I learn he was around in the 50s! While reading about this album I learned a bit about the world of best-selling sheet music, as in the first half of the 20th century, successful sheet music(s?) sold millions(!!) of copies. I guess pre-radio people would, like, play hit songs on their own instruments?? That's some Jane Austen stuff. Anyway, Ray Charles didn't write these songs; most of them were decades old and have some very popular sheet music. Seems to have been a genius move on his part. I didn't particularly love the album, but I do like this style of music (aka "old") and I wish there were more 50s (or older??) albums on here!

Highlights: 'It Had to Be You' (used in not 1, not 2, but 3!! Looney Tuneses), 'Am I Blue' (perhaps only in a single Looney Tune)

Related queries: Where did the "deep (as a) river, high (as a) mountain" dual originate? Not 'River Deep – Mountain High', clearly, since it's in the much older 'Come Rain or Come Shine' here. Is that just a coincidence? Surely there are other natural features with measurements that could be paired together and aren't ("canyon so wide; valley so low", anyone?). There's an African-American spiritual called 'Deep River', but it makes no mention of mountains. There's a Bible verse that includes "go up on a high mountain", but no mention of rivers. Is the answer obvious? Or is there nothing to answer? Maybe future albums will shed some light.

This is the most Christmas sounding album without actually being about Christmas

I only know of Ray Charles from The Blues Brothers so I was expecting an album like Shake Your Tail Feather from the movie. It maybe a tad unfair but since there was nothing like that on here I ended up feeling really disappointed with this one.

Sounds good. Probably genius.